Axle press



Patented Nov. 12, 1929 l UNITED STATES GEORGE W. FEATHER, OF

SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA AxLE PRESS Application filed November This invention relates to a device for straightening axles, and operates on a cold bending or pressing process as distinguished y from the hot bending process. The device 5 in question isparticularly intended to be used in connection with the front axles of motor vehicles in order to straighten such axles if necessary so as to properly align and true up the wheels. f

The principal object of my invent-ion' is to `provide a device of this general character and for this purpose constructed so that the axle may be either bent up or down and the bending pressure applied at practically any 15 point in the length of the axle; so that when the device is in operation the axle will remain supported by the wheels so that the actual normal running position and setting of the wheels is maintained; and so that all parts of 20 the device are detachable from each other so that they may be very easily applied to an axle without interfering with the front mud apron or other parts of the caror having to detach the axle from the car in order to work 25 thereon.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved press as applied to an axle to bend the ends upwardly.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. n

Fig. 3 is a similar section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the press as applied to an axle to pull the ends down.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a pair of horizontal transversely spaced and stiff bars, f rigidly connected at their ends so as to form a rigid 9, 1927.` serial No."2a2,ov7.

hollow beam unit. Slidable but non-turn- -able in the beam are blocks 2 surmounted by plates 3 rigidly connected thereto and which overhang and resten/the tops of the bars 1. Each block is provided with a. rectangular'` bore 4 in which is slidable the square head 5 of 'a heavy ack screw 6 which projects through yandabove the plate 3. A nut '7 is threaded on to the screw above the plate. ay washer 8 being interposed between the nut f and Lthe plate andthe latter supporting the strain when a downward pressure is applied tothe screw. The screw is adapted to engage the under surface of a front axle 9, and to canse the screw to engage the axle ina non-slipping fashion the top of the screw iS cnt with a shallow V groove 1() to iit the kusual d transverse slope or taper of the axle. Two of the blocks and jack units yare ordinarily used and they are individually slidable along h the beam and removable therefrom at any time by lifting` the same vertically.

Transversely aligned holes 11 are drilled through the bars 1 at the centerr of the length ofthe beam to removably receive a pin .12. ThisL pin 'removably passes through and forms the pivot and support for a pair of separate vertical hanger bars 13 and 14 adapted to project upwardly fromthe beam. The bar 13 is transversely offset intermediate its ends, so that by reversing said'bar relative to the bar 14tthe spacing between said bars at the upper ends may be altered. The bars adjacent their upper ends have `transversely aligned orifices 15 to removably receive a pin 16. This pin is provided at different places in its length with reduced portions 17 whose width is'not less than thatof. the bars so that the latter mayv iit in such reduced portions andthe pin cannot possibly slip out.

In applying the press to the axle the pin 12 is removed and the pin 16 with'the bars freely depending therefrom is placed over the axle adjacent the center thereof. The bars are spaced apart so that they fit in the properly spaced reduced portionsof the pin corresponding to the width of the particular axle being worked on.

The beam with the jack screws therein is then positioned vunder the axleso that the holes 11 are in substantial verticalwalignment with the lower bar holes. The beam is then raised so that the holes in the beam and bar are in alignment when the pin 12 is inserted. 1t it is desired the pin l2 may initially be left in place and the pin 16 removed and subsequently inserted instead. In order to 'facilitate the raising of the which is heavy, lugs 18 project out.- wardly from the ends of the beam some distance above the bottom thereof so that a crowbar may be placed under either lug and the necessary lifting pressure easily imparted to the beam.

The lengt-h or the bars 13 and 14 is lsuch that the beam when thus supported by the bars is clear ot the ground so that the wheels attached to the axle still rest on the ground and maintain their normal running setting.

Vhen the bars are connected to the beam the screws are advanced by turning the nuts so that they bite against the axle, the points of engagement of the screws with the axle being determined by the positions of the blocks 2 relative to the length of the beam, and which position may be altered to suit. By applying sutiicient pressure to thescrews by a continued turning ot the nuts the axle may be straightened and it is not essential that both screws shall be turned the same amount or that the beam shall remain parallel to the axle. The screws are prevented from turningvby reason ot' the heads 5, Vwhile the grooved engagement ot the screws with the axle prevents any tendency of the beam to swing horizontally when pressure is exerted on the nuts, and such as might otherwise cause the beam to twist and the screws to creep oft the axle. rThe structure is positioned as above when the ends of the axle are to be raised relative to the center. iVhen the axle is to be straightened in the opposite direction, one ot' the screw blocks is removed and the other one is placed centrally of the length of the beam and two sets of the linl: bars 13 and 14 are used at the ends of the beam. To mount such bars the beam `is provided withr holes ll A adjacent the ends for the reception of the lower linl pins 1:2d

Having thus described my invention what l claim'as new and usetul and desire to secure by Letters latent is:

1. Erin axle-press including a` rigid beam to extend lengthwise ot' and under an axle, hanger means mounted on the beam to straddle and engage the top et the axle and a ack unit mounted on the beam independent ot theihanger means; such unitl comprising a 'block slidably supported by the beam, a versupported from the beam; said unit comprising a pair of transversely spaced bars to extend adjacent the opposite sides of the axle, and a pin to removably project. through oriices provided in the bars adjacent their upper ends; said pin having longitudinally spaced reduced portions whose width is not less than the thickness otl the bars and the spacing between which is approximately the saine as that of said bars.

3. ln anv axle-press, a rigid beam member to extendV lengthwise of and under an axle, and a hanger unit projecting upwardly and supported from the beam; said unit comprising a pair of transversely spaced bars to extend adjacent the opposite sides of the axle, and a pin to removably project through orifices provided in the bars adjacent their upper ends, the upper end ot one bar being transversely offset from the lower end thereof whereby to enable the spacing between the bars at their upper ends to be altered when one bar is reversed in position withoutaltering the spacing between the bars at their lower ends.

ln testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

GEQRGE 7. FEATHER. 

